Posted by Anonymous on Sep 11, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
If two people have the same last name are they related?
I believe they are somewhere along the line.
Do you agree or disagree?
Posted by Fee on Sep 11, 2007 · Member since Aug 2007 · 499 posts
Not necessarily. I once read in the beginning of this dictionary (don't ask why I was reading the dictionary) about how last names came to be. A lot of them have to do with what your ancestors were known for. For example, if your ancestor was the town baker, your last name might be Baker, or some variation of it down the line. An example used in the book was how one man might have a long white beard, and his last name became White.
Other than that, we learned in school about how sometimes black and white people have the same last name with no relation because slaves often took the last names of their "masters" (jeez, I hate those terms) because they didn't know their own.
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Posted by Cheezees on Sep 11, 2007 · Member since Jul 2007 · 322 posts
In the grand scheme of things, I guess all humans are related. But concerning surnames, my black ancestors had the same last names as my white ancestors. So, no. :(
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Posted by volacious.r on Sep 11, 2007 · Member since Sep 2005 · 313 posts
Well other people were faster at typing than I was, but here's my response anyways:
I disagree. Take names like Baker or Smith which are derived from occupations or Hill and Wood derived from locations. Not all of these people are related.
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Posted by Duckalucky on Sep 11, 2007 · Member since Aug 2006 · 1127 posts
Agreed -- surnames weren't fixed for most people til quite late in history. Often, they were situational (as some given names still are in the African diaspora today!)-- for someone who lived in the town, you might be John Baker rather than John Vintner, but for someone who lived a few towns over, you might be John Hillvillage. And so on, and so on.
Posted by mirrya1 on Sep 12, 2007 · Member since Jan 2006 · 2210 posts
I have such an unusual last name that if I did meet somebody with the same last name we probably would be related. :D
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Posted by Cephi on Sep 12, 2007 · Member since Feb 2007 · 371 posts
Ew, most married couple I know have the same last name. Gross ;)
I guess it depends on what you mean by "related".... in the broad sense, you're related to my cat. You go far enough back, you two have a common ancestor; you share a great-great-great-great...etc.
I have a really hard time treating all animals completely equally -- killing a gorilla seems morally much more serious a matter than killing a bee -- and this is one of the ways I've justified it to myself... gorillas are closer family than bees... idk, works for me.
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Posted by subVersa on Sep 12, 2007 · Member since Apr 2007 · 52 posts
If two people have the same last name are they related?
I believe they are somewhere along the line.
Do you agree or disagree?
If that is correct, I am the descendant of Jesus Christ. (~_^)b (according to some)
Thou mayest all kneel before me and kiss my holy feet. Shiver and horripulate in the presence of my divinity. ;D
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I never read The Da Vinci Code (and successfully dodged the cinematic adaptation), but when I use checks or my checking card to pay, I often get some related comment or question. Odd.
Either that, or i get asked if I am related to a certain porn star, who holds/held (?) a nauseating, yet impressive, record. (as if she uses her real name)
Not necessarily. I once read in the beginning of this dictionary (don't ask why I was reading the dictionary) about how last names came to be. A lot of them have to do with what your ancestors were known for. For example, if your ancestor was the town baker, your last name might be Baker, or some variation of it down the line. An example used in the book was how one man might have a long white beard, and his last name became White.
Other than that, we learned in school about how sometimes black and white people have the same last name with no relation because slaves often took the last names of their "masters" (jeez, I hate those terms) because they didn't know their own.
In the grand scheme of things, I guess all humans are related. But concerning surnames, my black ancestors had the same last names as my white ancestors. So, no. :(
Well other people were faster at typing than I was, but here's my response anyways:
I disagree. Take names like Baker or Smith which are derived from occupations or Hill and Wood derived from locations. Not all of these people are related.
Agreed -- surnames weren't fixed for most people til quite late in history. Often, they were situational (as some given names still are in the African diaspora today!)-- for someone who lived in the town, you might be John Baker rather than John Vintner, but for someone who lived a few towns over, you might be John Hillvillage. And so on, and so on.
But, if we're talking relatives, lemme boggle you a bit with Mitochondrial Eve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve
I have such an unusual last name that if I did meet somebody with the same last name we probably would be related. :D
Ew, most married couple I know have the same last name. Gross ;)
I guess it depends on what you mean by "related".... in the broad sense, you're related to my cat. You go far enough back, you two have a common ancestor; you share a great-great-great-great...etc.
I have a really hard time treating all animals completely equally -- killing a gorilla seems morally much more serious a matter than killing a bee -- and this is one of the ways I've justified it to myself... gorillas are closer family than bees... idk, works for me.
If two people have the same last name are they related?
I believe they are somewhere along the line.
Do you agree or disagree?
If that is correct, I am the descendant of Jesus Christ. (~_^)b
(according to some)
Thou mayest all kneel before me and kiss my holy feet.
Shiver and horripulate in the presence of my divinity. ;D
--------
I never read The Da Vinci Code (and successfully dodged the cinematic adaptation), but when I use checks or my checking card to pay, I often get some related comment or question.
Odd.
Either that, or i get asked if I am related to a certain porn star, who holds/held (?) a nauseating, yet impressive, record.
(as if she uses her real name)
Either reference always amuses me.